Blue Thunder and The Blade
by obsidians
Summary: Sometimes we encounter someone we hate, only to discover that we like them
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Ranma and never wish to own Akane!

Motoko Aoyama did not often enter tournaments, as the Aoymana clan was already famous for spawning legendary swordsmen, and women. However sometimes she got sick sparring against weaker people like Keitaro and longed for the rush and thrill of raw talented competition. It was with a blade in her hand that the slender brunette really came alive. She loved the roar of the crowds and the heady ring of blade on blade. All eyes watched her as she moved with the grace of a ballerina; they caught their breath at her beauty. Her body long and slender with breasts just full enough to make the angels sigh, a tiny waist, her slender hips tapered to long legs, but it was her face that captured the most attention. Ink black hair fell like a silk waterfall around a still slightly girlish face with large expressive grey eyes, slightly pouty lips, a button nose and a thin, high arched eyebrows. Men fell in love with her just from gazing at her during these competitions, however once they talked with her, they discovered that she had no interest in them. Her only interest was in becoming the best swordsman ever and proving herself to his sister.

Motoko reigned victorious again, pushed back her damp ponytail and bowed to her latest competitor as he humbly admitted his defeat to her, though it killed him do so, she was the only woman there. She adjusted her white hoari and red hakama and studied her next competitor; she hadn't met this one before. he wore a blue hoari and black hakama, she'd heard that his name was Tatewaki Kuno and he came from Nerima. He was kind of cute; even she had to admit that.

She scowled when she saw his wooden practice sword and sighingly retrieved her own. She didn't care much for practice swords; they just didn't feel the same as they sliced through the air.

"The blue thunder never misses" he said and smiled victorious at her. Kuno had no idea what he was up against. Of course he had heard of the legendary Aoyama name but thought that the person he was facing was a short male, as her hair was pulled back and she wore a protective mask.

"Neither does an Aoyama" she said and took up her stance. She smiled at his insolence and decided that he needed to be taken down a peg or two. She swung her sword in a high arc guaranteed to knock his sword from him.

"Excellent, you are a worthy adversary" Kuno said in approval as he blocked him.

"You talk far too much" she snarled as she aimed at his chest, she was actually surprised at his skill when he parried and gave his sword a twist in an attempt to disarm her.

"My skill is unparalleled in Nerima" Kuno said.

"Well, this isn't Nerima" she replied and blocked him skillfully. They fought for a long time, growing more impress by their competitor as time went on. Until something flew from Kuno's hoari and landed on the floor. Mokoto slipped on it and went down heavily on her knee. With shaking a hand she lifted it up to see it was a photo of a young redheaded girl wearing a bikini.

The referee asked what caused her to fall and she handed him the photo.

"I'm sorry Mr. Kuno but you have to forfeit this match as an unsecured objected slipped from your person and caused injured to Miss Aoyama. She's the winner" he said and distastefully handed him back his photo.

"What say did you; can this worthy opponent actually be a female?" Kuno asked and took the photo from him. "I deeply apologize that you got injured, I like to bring my love along for luck" he said with a bow. She pulled her helmet over her head and he caught his breath at her beauty. She had the face of an angel, an angry one.

"I suggest that you leave your love in the locker room the next time pal" she snarled and limped off to change. She examined her knee, it was swelling up and she wondered how she was going to get home to the hinata house. She had brought no money for a cab and didn't know anyone she could get a ride with. She carefully limped out and got ready to make the slow, painful walk home. She'd only walked a few steps when she heard someone saying "do not leave Angel of the Blade, you must date with me. Please don't let a minor accident part us." She gasped as she was hugged from behind and pulled against a powerful chest. She blushed at being so close to a male, especially one that had a bulge in the front of his hamaka.

She shoved him away. "I don't date, my virginity to sworn to my craft" she said. That was normally enough to rid herself of unwanted suitor. If that didn't help, a huge sword pointed at their male junk would do it.

"But Angel of the Blade, I don't wish to deprive you of your maidenhead" Kuno said.

"Really?" she asked skeptically.

"Not until after several dates" he retorted, not seeing the vein throbbing on her head.

"Not interested and stop calling me that" she cried, she went to take a step and almost fell down, she would have if Kuno hadn't caught her and scooped her up bridal style.

"Are you okay?" Kuno asked in a suddenly normal voice.

He set her on a bench and pushed up the leg of her hamaka. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded. She relaxed when he went no higher than her knee. "I caused this injury" he stated, staring at the swollen joint.

"It's nothing, I'll walk it off" she said and went to stand. He firmly held her in place.

"I shall get you home" he said firmly and picked her up again.

"There's no way", she protested and wiggled in his arms.

He started walking forward as if she were nothing but a spitting kitten "where do you live?" he demanded.

"Hinata House, but I'm too heavy and its ten blocks away" she protested. "You could at least let me ride on your back" she suggested.

"I should love you to press the fullness of your chest against my back and warm my lower torso with the sweet warmth from between your thighs. Or perhaps shall I throw you over my shoulder fireman style and you might present a fine view of your firm bottom to all pedestrians? Or do you prefer your present position" Kuno asked her sweetly. He thought it was cute when she blushed.

"Bridal style is just fine" she muttered back. "Let me know if I get too heavy" she said. But judging from his rock hard muscles and the fact that his arms weren't trembling, he seemed to be in good shape.

"True love always lightens the load" Kuno said and pulled her closer to him against the chill of the evening. Mokoto was nervous as she'd never been held like this before, almost of their own accord her arms snaked around his neck. She breathed in his masculine musk and felt his muscles move as he cradled her firmly, but gently.

As for Kuno, he was in heaven that so gorgeous a creature was nestled in his arms. How could he have ever thought her to be a guy? She was gorgeous female perfection all the way through and her long, dark hair smelled like honey. Yet she was just as skilled with the blade as he was, if not even more so. Was it his imagination or did she snuggle closer to him? He honestly hoped that they would never arrive at their destination so that he might carry her sweet weight for the rest of their lives.

It was just as that moment when she said "we're here, you can put me down"

"What is this place?" Kuno asked. The place was rather large and of Japanese architecture with lots of windows.

"The hinata house girl's dormitory" she explained and struggled to get down "you really don't want to come in" she advised, just imagining her crazy dormates reaction to her being found in a man's arms.

"Nonsense I injured you, the least I can do is see you to your room" he insisted and shoved open the door and instinctively ducked a flying turtle. He was still wondering if it actually had been a turtle, when they were joined by girl wearing blue top and black pants that showed off an excellent figure, she has short tawny hair and carried a bottle of sake. "Why Mokoto you rascal, did you elope? It's always the quiet ones" she said in Japanese with a ludicrous Southern Accent. Mokoto blushed and opened her mouth to protest.

"You eloped?" cried a bizarre looking girl with a dark skin, blond hair and blue eyes, who held a huge bunch of bananas.

"No wait, this isn't as it seems" Mokoto protested and wished that she could just sink into the ground. Kuno seemed stunned by the more colourful people of their dorms, though he did seem a little more interested when Naru joined them.

"Do we have to buy you a wedding present?" Kaolla Su said. "Better yet, we can have a real wedding here with lots and lots of food" she gushed.

"I really think there's been a mistake" Kuno said as he sweat dropped.

He watched as a petit girl with short, bobbed hair entered "what's going on?" she asked and goggled that Mokoto was willingly in a man's arms, even if she did look nervous.

"They eloped, you have to start cooking so we can give them a real wedding" Kaolla Su declared jumping happily in place.

"Just hold on; let's find out what really happened before we railroad them into marriage. Nice to meet you, I'm the landlord Keitaro" said a teenaged boy with brown eyes and square glasses.

"I'm Tatewaki Kuno from Nerima, Miss Aoyama's got injured in combat and I'm a fault, so I insisted on making sure she got home okay. Not wanted her to aggravate her knee, further I insisted on carrying her" Kuno said, glad to be talking to someone with some sense.

"Oh is that it? How disappointing" Kitsune said.

"I knew there had to be a logical explanation" Shinobu said.

"Could you still make the food?" Kaolla Su asked her.

"Her room is this way" Keitaro said and led Kuno to it; he didn't set her down until he reached the door and Keitaro departed.

"You have rather odd roommates, kind of reminds me of some people back home" he commented.

She shrugged "you get used to it, flying turtle and all"

"That really was a turtle?" he asked.

"Afraid so, thanks for getting me home and not flirting with me" she said.

"Hardly going to take advantage of a maiden in distress" he said with a shrug. "If I happen by here again, might I call on you?" he asked.

"I told you I don't date" she said cautiously.

"I mean that we can practice together, I feel it would benefit both of us" Kuno suggested.

She relaxed "I think I would like that" she said.

"Very well, I must depart or will miss my ride back, it was a pleasure to meet you Miss Aoyama" he said and turned to go.

"Kuno?" she hesitated.

He turned around "yes Miss Aoyama?" he said, she impulsively gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks you're a nice guy, the redhead in the picture is a lucky girl" she said.

He blushed and said "yes she is"


	2. Chapter 2

Motoko stood before her mirror examining her pearly body. She been blessed in the looks department she'd been told, but never really thought about how she looked or held vanity about it. She was more concerned with how she could make her body perform athletically than how to use it to entice someone. Still she had to admit that contrast of her chalk pale skin mixed with her large, dark eyes and long dark hair was rather dramatic. But could a seventeen year old male find her attractive? She blushed at where her thoughts were taking her and glanced guiltily at the roses that had arrived for her the other day.

Flashback

Mokoto had opened the door to find a flower delivery man "Naru, someone sent you flowers" she called up to her room.

"These are for Motoko Aoyama" the delivery man told her.

Motoko's face flamed "there has to be some mistake" she said as the rest of her dorm mates surrounded her with curious eyes.

"They're from Mr. Tatewaki Kuno of Nerima" the delivery boy revealed to her. "He's one of our best customers"

Mokoto opened the box and blushed as red as the roses that lay there. "Red roses, a young man only sends those when he's got love on his mind" Kitsune observed "or something else"

"I'm sure they're just to apologize for hurting my knee" she said hotly.

"In Molmol, a young man only gives a girl a gift of flowers when he intends to marry" Koalla Su said.

"When does he give her the large bunch of bananas?" Mokoto asked facetiously.

"On their wedding day" Koallo Su replied.

Mokoto could only blink at her "I'll be in my room" she said, picking up the box.

"What are you going to do with the flowers?" Kitsune called after her.

"I'll probably just keep them in the box" she said. She got to her room and locked the door. She carefully drew all the blinds, and then carefully arranged the flowers in the pitcher of water that she always kept beside her bed and stepped back to admire them. No one had ever given her flowers before. She opened the card and laughed when it read:

Dear Miss Aoyama,

Please accept these flowers as a token of my esteem for my fighting abilities and for you, sorry about your knee. True love's path is usually slippery, but not usually meant to be caused by the photo of another love.

Yours in love and war (as true love is the only war worth fighting for),

Takewaki Kuno

Mokoto giggled and then pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote a letter to him:

Dear Kuno-Kun,

I would like to thank you for the flowers and thought about your idea of keeping in touch. I will admit that I researched your family soon after you left and found out that your background is similar to mine. I too, am from a proud samurai family and believe that family tradition should be followed. The Aoyama School of martial arts is my life and chosen path, my goal is to become the strongest swordsperson that my family has ever produced. I will stop at nothing until I achieve this goal. The idea that you are just as dedicated to the blade intrigues me.

I hope that you understand what I am saying, I would like to be your friend and for us to get together and practice as you suggested, that is if your girlfriend doesn't mind.

Perhaps you would care to come for dinner the next time you're in town?

Yours,

Motoko Aoyama

She sealed it and left it on the table with the other outgoing mail.

Kitsune noticed a letter on the table; it was from Mokoto and going to Nerima. "Tatewaki Kuno" she mused. "I think that's the name of Mokoto's gentlemen friend, I'm sure that she wouldn't mind if I take a peek at what she wrote to him" she murmured and put the kettle on to steam the letter open. "Wow Motoko, how are you planning to steal a man from his girlfriend with such a lame letter? You need to add more spice."

She pulled out a blank sheet of paper and wrote:

Dear Tatewaki,

Thank you ever so much for the flowers, I don't know how I shall ever repay you for the compliment. Well, I can think of one way, but a modest virgin shouldn't write such things to a gentleman. ;)

Perhaps we can get together and discuss this at your convenience? I am a girl of huge appetites and would love to play with your sword.

Hungrily yours,

Motoko

Kitsune closed the envelope and kissed the seam of it to seal it with light pink lipsticked kiss. "There you go Motoko, you catch more flies if you sugar your nest" she declared. "She's going to thank me for this one day" she said as she set the new letter back on the table.

Kuno was surprised when he got a personal letter in the mail; the only one who normally wrote to him was his old buddy bill, who normally sent him letters when Kodachi said "charge it"

He smiled when he saw it was from Motoko, he'd been wondering if she'd received his flowers and what her reaction to them had been. He'd honestly liked her as a person and admired her skill with the sword. He thought her attractive and did wish to get to know her better, but knew the he had to be faithful to his girlfriends. Surely they wouldn't mind a bit of harmless flirtation with a girl?

"Do you ladies?" he asked staring at their photos.

"No darling not a bit, open your letter" The Pigtailed Goddess's photo urged back, this was seconded by Akane.

"Thank you my loves" he said gratefully, feeling joyful that he had such understanding women in his life, he opened Motoko's letter and read it...and got a nosebleed. "What is this; do still waters truly run this deep? Is it truly possible that my Angel desires me? No, it cannot be, yet what else could she possibly mean by my sword, it has to be my...?" Kuno said and blushed bright red.

He looked at the pictures of women on his walls and he realized for once that they were just that, one dimensional pictures. Not a loving, breathing woman that he would hold and make his own. Not someone he could take out on a date and kiss goodnight. Not someone who worried about him when he was unwell and would bring him his favourite soup. No they were just pictures of smiling women trapped in time and they would always look that way. "Pig Tailed Girl, Akane Tendo; you'll have to forgive my being unfaith to you. I promise to spend the rest of my life making it up to you, but I need this, Mokoto needs this" he said and kissed each photo, then called for Sasuke "Sasuke, tell them to gas up our family jet, we're going to the Kanagawa Prefecture tonight" he barked at the startled looking ninja.

Motoko was surprised where there was a knock on the door, most of her dorm mates were out watching a movie. She'd looked forward to using this opportunity to get in practice. With a sigh she opened the door and was surprised when soaked Tatewaki Kuno stood in the rain. Recovering she said "hello Kuno-Sempi, I guess you got my letter? I was just about to make dinner; you're welcome to join me. However, I wish you'd called ahead of time to let me know that you were coming to town" she said, pushing open the door. Her eyes went wide at the way that other kendoist was looking at her. She looked back at him curiously and then made a noise of surprise when he cupped the apples of her cheeks and pressed his lips to hers in a hungry kiss.


End file.
